Reid sets key vote on Hagel nomination for Friday

The Senate will hold a test vote on Friday to move toward final confirmation of former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., as President Barack Obama's next secretary of defense.

Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Wednesday that he planned to hold a procedural vote on Friday at a to-be-determined time on Hagel's nomination. The vote isn't final confirmation on the nomination, but it could presage the former senator's chances at winning approval from his former colleagues.

Democrats will need 60 votes to move forward with the nomination, requiring the support of at least a few Republicans. Some conservatives have sought to block the Hagel nomination outright, though other Republicans have said they wouldn't block the nomination from moving forward, even though they intended to vote against Hagel's final confirmation.

Still, Democrats lamented that this instance was the first time in which Republicans had essentially filibustered a defense secretary nominee, because Republicans are demanding that Reid meet the threshold of support needed to end a filibuster.